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Chapters (54)
  1. Cover
  2. Colophon
  3. ALSO BY RICHARD PAUL EVANS
  4. Title Page
  5. Copyright
  6. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  7. Dedication
  8. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  9. Epigraph
  10. Grace
  11. THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL
  12. CHAPTER One
  13. CHAPTER Two
  14. CHAPTER Three
  15. CHAPTER Four
  16. CHAPTER Five
  17. CHAPTER Six
  18. CHAPTER Seven
  19. CHAPTER Eight
  20. CHAPTER Nine
  21. CHAPTER Ten
  22. CHAPTER Eleven
  23. CHAPTER Twelve
  24. CHAPTER Thirteen
  25. CHAPTER Fourteen
  26. CHAPTER Fifteen
  27. CHAPTER Sixteen
  28. CHAPTER Seventeen
  29. CHAPTER Eighteen
  30. CHAPTER Nineteen
  31. CHAPTER Twenty
  32. CHAPTER Twenty-one
  33. CHAPTER Twenty-two
  34. CHAPTER Twenty-three
  35. CHAPTER Twenty-four
  36. CHAPTER Twenty-five
  37. CHAPTER Twenty-six
  38. CHAPTER Twenty-seven
  39. CHAPTER Twenty-eight
  40. CHAPTER Twenty-nine
  41. CHAPTER Thirty
  42. CHAPTER Thirty-one
  43. CHAPTER Thirty-two
  44. CHAPTER Thirty-three
  45. CHAPTER Thirty-four
  46. CHAPTER Thirty-five
  47. CHAPTER Thirty-six
  48. CHAPTER Thirty-seven
  49. CHAPTER Thirty-eight
  50. CHAPTER Thirty-nine
  51. EPILOGUE
  52. A LETTER FROM RICHARD PAUL EVANS
  53. JOIN THE RICHARD PAUL EVANS MAILING LIST, GET A FREE GIFT AND HELP A CHILD
  54. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The woman walked out with Gary’s gaze following her every step of the way. After she drove off he walked out and looked at the poster.

“What school do you go to?” he asked.

“Granite Junior.”

“Do you know that girl?”

“I had a class with her.”

He shook his head. “Her poor parents must be crazy with worry.”

“Mr. Dick will probably go bananas when he sees that,” I said.

“Probably.”

“Maybe I should take it down.”

Maybe it was the lingering memory of those eyes, but to my surprise, Gary chose that moment to grow a backbone. “No. We should leave it up. It’s the right thing to do.”

“I don’t know, Gary. You really should pick your battles.”

He looked at me quizzically, no doubt wondering what had gotten into me. “I’m glad I’m not one of your school-mates.”

Dean came into work about an hour later. I hoped he wouldn’t see the poster but, of course, it was the first thing he noticed.

“Hey, corndog, you see that poster out there? That girl looks just like the paper shaker you brought in.”

“No she doesn’t.”

“It looks exactly like her. What did you do, kidnap her?”

“My friend’s name is Grace. Not Madeline.”

This stumped him. “Well, you have to admit she looks like her.”

“No, I don’t,” I said.

“You’re such a ditz,” Dean said and he went back up front.

That night I closed with Jackie. While she was mopping up the back I went out to the lobby and took down the poster. I rolled it up and hid it up front until Jackie left. Then I put it in my coat and rode home to show Grace.

“I feel like a criminal,” Grace said, staring at the poster.

“You’re kind of famous,” I said.

“I wonder who told the PTA.”

“Probably your parents.”

“My mom might. Stan wouldn’t. He’s glad I’m gone.”

I looked at her. “What if he’s not? I mean, maybe you got him wrong.”

She looked at me and there was darkness in her eyes. “No, I didn’t get him wrong.”

CHAPTER Twenty-one

There was an article in the newspaper about me.
I wish everyone would leave me alone,
not so much for my sake as Eric’s.
He’s very afraid.

GRACE’S DIARY

TUESDAY, NOV. 6

The next morning Joel and I were eating our Malt-O-Meal cereal when my father hobbled into the kitchen and sat down at the table. My mother handed him a cup of Postum, then left the kitchen to get ready for work. Dad poured some milk into his cup and stirred until his drink turned the pale color of caramel.